Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Travel Tips: What to Pack for a Long Flight

Since we're headed out of the country on Friday (ahhh!! did I mention at least 10,000 times that we're headed to Paris?!?!?) and just about everyone I know is getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving or will be traveling in December, it seemed fitting to share my carry-on essentials today. I actually meant to share this post after our trip to Southeast Asia but never quite got around to it, but you know, better late than never!

Having survived an (almost) seventeen hour flight to Hong Kong, I now consider myself a bit of a travel expert. So what's always in my carry-on?

The Best Travel Pillow
I've tried several different travel pillows before but didn't love any of them - this one is a total game changer! The sides are harder so you can lean to the sides if that's more comfortable for you, the back is flatter so it keeps your neck in better alignment instead of forcing it forward, and it has a clip in the front to secure it around yourself. Oh, and it's made of foam and rolls down to fit in a little travel bag, so your travel pillow isn't just bouncing around on the outside of your carry-on and (gasp!) potentially touching the floor.

A Cozy Cardigan and a Scarf
I'm probably more sensitive to temperature than the average human being, and it drives me crazy that planes tend to switch between cold and hot and cold and hot as you taxi, take off, and reach altitude. For me, layers are always key. I like to go for a cardigan because it's easier to take on and off than a pullover, as well as a scarf that can double as a blanket.

Colgate Wisps
Using my toothbrush in the airplane bathroom always grosses me out, so I love pulling out these little mini toothbrushes on the plane whenever I feel the need to freshen up. They have a tiny bead of mouthwash that you use to brush your teeth, and then you can toss them afterwards.Travel Organizer
I used this for the first time on my trip to San Francisco, and I'm never traveling without it again! Usually when I get on a plane I'm constantly rummaging around in my bag pulling out the different things I need, but now I can put them all into this organizer and just put that in the seatback pocket. It's big enough to fit my iPad mini, phone, a charging cable, headphones, your passport or ID, a credit card, chapstick, hand lotion, a hair tie, and whatever other little knicknacks get lost in your bag. Plus, you can add a monogram. It took me thirty years to get here, but monograms are my new favorite thing.

Card Holder
You likely don't need everything in your wallet when you're traveling, and you definitely don't need it on the plane! I like to pop my ID, insurance card, and one or two credit cards into a little card holder and call it a day instead. I actually picked up my current one in Florence, and use it almost every day instead of my regular wallet because it fits better into my small crossbody bags. My mom asked what I do with all of my rewards cards and store credit cards - I just ask stores to look up my account!

Portable Charger with Built-In Prongs
I got one of these as a promo item at work, and let me tell you, it's a travel game-changer. I have issues with a lot of portable chargers. They either won't stay plugged into your phone, or they barely hold any charge, or they have a separate cord and charger that they need to use to charge up. This one has built-in prongs that plug directly into the wall so you never have to worry about keeping track of another cord, can fully charge your phone three times before running out of batteries, and has a lightning cord built-in so you also don't have to find your phone charger.

Seriously, it's the best. I also recommend putting your phone on low battery mode as soon as you leave for the airport, even if it's already fully charged. I do this for every trip / when I know I'll be out all day, and it makes my battery last so much longer! I actually didn't even use my travel charger during my whole trip to San Francisco earlier this month despite being out all day and taking photos/videos.

iPad and a Paperback
I always load up my iPad with shows from Netflix (I just finished The Good Place - so good!) and games, but in case my eyes get tired of looking at the screen or I somehow run out of battery despite my precautions above, I like to bring a paperback book too. I just finished Little Fires Everywhere and loved it, it would be a great travel book because it's not too hard of a read, but the intertwining stories and complex themes give it more depth than your average vacation read.Lip Balm and Moisturizer
I'm addicted to lotion and chapstick in my everyday life, so in the dry air of an airplane the problem gets 10x worse! These hand lotions are a splurge but are my favorite for traveling - the little tube fits anywhere! Oh, and I've talked and talked about these lip balms - I love the basic one for travel, but the rose color gives such a pretty hint of color for everyday.

Refillable Water Bottle
I don't know why, but the water on overseas flights tends to be gross. I actually thought it was so gross on our trip to Hong Kong that I made Jeff buy me five bottles of water at the airport for our flight home. Jeff, however, brought his refillable water bottle and didn't have to waste forty dollars on bottled water. Most airports have water bottle fillers these days, so you can easily fill up once you go through security. I love that this one has a straw top so you won't risk spilling all over yourself on the plane. Not that I've done that.

Extra Underwear and a Full Outfit
Unless you're carrying on all of your luggage, there's always the risk that you could lose your bag. I always bring a full extra outfit plus a couple of pairs of underwear in my carry-on in case something happens, that way I'm ready to go once I reach my destination. If I'm traveling somewhere warm I also bring a swimsuit too, because shopping for a swimsuit is hard enough when you aren't extremely rushed and only shopping at weird beach boutiques!

When I travel internationally, I always love these travel adapters (lifesavers when traveling to multiple countries with different outlet types!), charcoal pills in case the food upsets my stomach (which has happened every time I've traveled out of the country), and this little digital camera that's way more convenient to carry around than my DSLR!